


champagne supernova

by wafflesofdoom



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Established Relationship, Light Angst, M/M, Past Infidelity, Romance, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 09:59:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11461236
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflesofdoom/pseuds/wafflesofdoom
Summary: robert wasn’t the type of person who got overwhelmed. he’d spent his whole life just powering through the things that felt overwhelming, good and bad - chin up and shoulders back, as jack had always said.or, aaron and robert share a quiet moment alone at their second wedding.





	champagne supernova

Robert wasn’t the type of person who got overwhelmed. He’d spent his whole life just powering through the things that felt overwhelming, good and bad - chin up and shoulders back, as Jack had always said. That’s how the Sugden’s got through life, never letting anyone or anything get them down, stop them from getting what they wanted.

For better or for worse, his dad had instilled a fierce sort of pride in Robert, in all three of them, and it was something he was never going to be able to shake off, not completely, maybe not at all.

And that pride was exactly why Robert was sitting in a children's playground, his wedding reception going on without him in the pub, chatter and music pouring out of every open door and window of the Woolpack.

**_His_**  wedding.

Robert glanced down at the familiar ring on his finger, a new weight added to the metal now, an official marriage license and a legal wedding making him Aaron’s husband officially, on paper now.

He didn’t deserve it, Robert knew that much. He’d done nothing to ever deserve Aaron’s love, had done nothing to deserve the forgiveness Aaron had given him, one too many times now.

The forgiveness that had allowed them to build a life together, properly this time around, no cheating, no secret pregnancies, nothing. It was just the two of them in it this time, eight months of marriage counselling ending with them standing in city hall, applying for a marriage license.

To do it for real this time, Aaron had quipped, a bright smile on his face, and a confidence to the way he held himself that Robert hadn’t realised he’d missed, until it was back. A break up, a make up, a whole lot of therapy, and a few new hobbies, and happy hadn’t felt like such an impossibility anymore.

Thats how Aaron had put it. He’d thought happiness was impossible, once, Aaron plagued by all the things he’d had to suffer in his life, all the ways the universe had done him wrong.

But he was  _good_  now, a smile on his face and a snarky smirk in place whenever he decided to drive Robert up the wall, friendly banter and happy teasing taking the place of the fighting, the breaking point they’d spent months on the edge of before they’d had to admit they weren’t going anywhere (anywhere happy, at least.)

And yet somehow, here they were now,  _married_ , and happy, an easy sort of routine to their lives together that Robert knew he didn’t deserve.

He hadn’t deserved to get to go on that third first date, with Aaron, hadn’t deserved the smile and the ‘third times a charm, Robert’, hadn’t deserved any of it, but Aaron had always been the better man, the better of the two of them.

Better half took a whole new meaning, when it came to Aaron and Robert.

“Oi!”

Robert looked up at the familiar shout, Aaron stalking across the grass toward him, suit jacket and tie long since discarded, shirt sleeves rolled up slightly, his husband clearly feeling the affects of the overly warm pub, and the free flowing alcohol.

Aaron looked gorgeous. More gorgeous than Robert had words for, and he prided himself on never being lost for words, but he had been, had been gobsmacked that afternoon at the registry office as he’d watched Aaron walk up the aisle, Chas holding tightly to his arm, fingers digging into the expensive blue material.

(Tailor made suits, for their second wedding, because it was the second and last.)

“You’re not allowed to abandon me, not when mum’s trying to make me dance,” Aaron said, waggling a bottle of champagne at Robert, one he’d clearly swiped on his way out of the pub.

Robert couldn’t help but crack a smile. Chas hadn’t been the biggest support, when they’d decided to give their relationship another go - not that Robert could blame her for her reluctance to get on board - but they’d found their way in the end.

He and Chas had common ground, after all - Aaron, and Aaron being happy, and so when Aaron’s smile had become a permanent fixture on his face, she’d done her nosey mum routine, and asked when they’d make it legal.

“I just needed a minute,” Robert admitted quietly, knowing Aaron was staring, waiting for an answer. It had all felt a bit overwhelming, as he’d stood at the bar with Zak and Sam, having a pint with the two Dingles, Aaron being cornered by Belle and Charity, the two women determined to make him dance.

It had been overwhelming because it had felt  _right_ , felt like  _home_ , felt like the blissful forever after they’d been denied at their first wedding. Robert had been in the midst of a group of Dingles, people who’d been out for his blood once upon a time, and he’d felt at home.

It had sort of been the straw that broke the camels back, if Robert was honest, the emotion of the day flooding his every sense at once, and he’d just needed  _air_. if anyone but Aaron had come looking, he’d have said he needed to be alone, too - but well, this was Aaron.

He’d never say no to a quiet moment with Aaron.

“Are you okay?” Aaron asked, immediately concerned. He sat down next to Robert on the steps of the pirate ship, knee knocking against Robert’s, champagne bottle nestled between his ankles.

“Yeah, I….” Robert trailed off, knowing he should just be honest. Honesty was key,  _communication_ was key, they’d done enough ridiculous exercises at marriage counselling to prove that much. “I don’t deserve this,” he admitted, hating how his chest tightened and tears pricked at his eyes as he spoke, emotions getting the better of him.

It wasn’t exactly chin up, and shoulders back.

“Why would you say that?” Aaron asked, the simple question impossible to answer. Robert should know why, should be able to say it all aloud, but he couldn’t - didn’t know where to start, really.

“All I’ve ever done is hurt you,” Robert settled on as an answer in the end, distracting himself by straightening the cufflinks Victoria and Diane had bought him for the wedding, platinum cufflinks engraved with his initials.

**_RJS._ **

No matter how many times Aaron called him Mr Dingle, Robert was a Sugden, he’d always be a Sugden, and sometimes he was proud, just like Jack had taught them all to be, and sometimes - well, sometimes all he could think about was how disappointed his father would be, if he was still alive.

“Well, that’s not exactly true, is it?” Aaron said, giving him a funny look. “Robert, we’ve been so happy lately, why would you say that?”

“Because its true, isn’t it?” Robert said, digging his fingers into his palms. “Everything I’ve done to you over the years - why would you stay with me?”

Aaron reached out, prising Robert’s clenched hand apart, slotting their palms together, their new normal, open and  _easy_ , and all the things they never thought they’d have together. “Because - even through all the hard parts, Robert, I loved ya, I love you,” he said, blue eyes bright, even in the close to darkness they were sitting in, the August sunny evening fading into a cooler, autumn night. “And it’s been worth it, in the end.”

Robert nodded, knowing it was true, knowing Aaron wouldn’t say it if it wasn’t.

“I don’t understand it, sometimes, how much I love you,” Aaron continued, confident in his words in a way he wasn’t over two years ago, now, back when they’d exchanged vows for the first time. “But I figure I don’t need to, you know? All I need to know is that I’m happier with you, than I would be if I didn’t have you.”

“Me too,” Robert said, leaning over to press a kiss to Aaron’s clothed shoulder. Twenty seven looked good on his husband, their changing ages a reminder of how long they’d been working toward this, toward their  _forever._ “Feels weird, though.”

“What does?”

“This,” Robert gestured vaguely. “There’s always been a catch, hasn’t there? Always been something thats holding us back, something hanging over our heads. It feels weird that today went off mostly without a hitch, and tomorrow we’re going to fly to Barcelona and have that honeymoon, and thats all there is to it.”

“No prison,” Aaron quipped, able to joke about it now, a little, at least.

“I guess I don’t know how to deal with  _this,_ ” Robert continued, words coming a little easier now they were talking, now he had Aaron by his side, encouraging him. “There’s no secrets anymore.”

No secrets.

No secret insecurities, no holding things back, not from each other - not from anyone else. Aaron had sat, hand on Robert’s knee as he’d told Victoria and Diane about what had happened, what Jack had done when Robert was fifteen. 

How he’d carried it with him, for so long, how it still hurt, sometimes.

How he pretended like it didn’t, because the Sugdens were  _proud_.

Aaron had held him close, afterward, and Robert had  _cried_ , he’d actually cried for the first time in a long time, and it hadn’t been because he was sad - no, it had been relief, relief that he wouldn’t have to go through another family dinner, another wedding day, not having his family know.

“Feels, good, doesn’t it?” Aaron said, smiling at him. His smile nearly always reached his eyes, these days, bright and happy and oozing from every inch of him.

“Feels like I don’t know what to do with myself,” Robert admitted, reaching between Aaron’s legs for the bottle of champagne, the liquid fizzing in his throat as he took a swig, hours of drinking making his limbs feel relaxed and heavy, heart light and mind blissfully clear.

“Maybe we should just be boring and happy,” Aaron said, taking the champagne bottle, pulling that same disgusted face as he took a drink, still not much of a fan (though he’d let Robert eagerly request a few bottles for their reception, a hand in Robert’s pocket as he’d talked with Chas about the open bar they were planning, letting the two of them decide exactly what sort of drinks should be on offer.

Champagne, of course, because they were celebrating.

Robert laughed, leaning in to press a kiss to Aaron’s champagne flavoured mouth, fizz lingering on his husband’s lips. “You reckon we’ll be any good at it? Being boring and happy.”

Aaron hooked an ankle around Robert’s, making sure every inch of them was touching as he replied, lips inches from Robert’s, champagne bottle dripping condensation on their suit trousers, not that either of them particularly cared, not in that moment, anyway.

“I reckon we’re going to be brilliant at it,” Aaron murmured, forehead pressed to Robert’s as they kissed languidly, unhurried, nowhere to rush off to, nowhere else to be except together.

_Boring and happy._

Sounded as good as it got, really.

 

 

 

**fin.**

**Author's Note:**

> a little bit of a i would pay a lot of money for a scene like this at their second wedding kind of fic.
> 
> hope you enjoyed!


End file.
